One of our top family experiences so far was traveling through Vietnam with kids. Are you thinking about taking the family to Vietnam? Read on!
I first went to Vietnam in 1998 and had one of the most meaningful travel experiences of my life. It was one of the first times where I felt like I was really interacting with the locals. I enjoyed it so much that returned to Vietnam a second time just over a year after my first visit.
Visiting Vietnam with Kids
Then over a decade later we went to Vietnam as a family, and you know what? Our experience together was just as great. Like many developing nations, there are some local people trying to hustle or travelers or show open contempt for them. This happens in Vietnam as well, but if you follow a few simple rules, you can avoid trouble and actually have some meaningful interaction with locals.
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There are a lot of things to do in Vietnam with kids, and unlike most of Southeast Asia, most Vietnamese food isn’t spicy, or serves its chile peppers on the side. This makes a huge difference in a family trip if you have kids or a spouse who can’t handle spicy food.
The Vietnamese love kids, as well. Like in Thailand, when you walk into a local, family-run restaurant, it’s likely that someone will try to take your littlest ones out of your hands and play with them while you eat.
I know that some people traveling in Vietnam with kids find this alarming, but handle it however you like. Local people often love babies and little ones, and they especially like seeing “exotic” children like those of many foreign tourists.
Word of warning, however: if your children are blonde or ginger-haired, they are likely to get a LOT of attention. just saying.
VIETNAM WITH KIDS: Vietnam Family Travel Posts
Here are a few things I’ve written about traveling in Vietnam with kids.
- Our super-guide to Vietnam with Kids
- I love, love LOVE eating in Vietnam
- We took a great cooking class in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC)
- A great juice stand in HCMC
- The fascinating and bizarre Suoi Tien Amusement park just outside HCMC
- Our amazing motorcycle trip from Hue to Hoi An
- Just me, gushing about how much we enjoyed Vietnam travel
Prefer Audio? Two of my Epic Education Radio guests chose to live in Vietnam with kids.
- Barbara Adam (Episode #26) is a long-term resident who started a business there
- Digital nomad parents Conrad and Regina Braun (Episode #49) based themselves in Hoi An for a while
HAVE YOU BEEN TO VIETNAM WITH KIDS?
Where did you go? What did you do? Where did you stay? What was your favorite food? I’d love to hear your tips, your advice about traveling in Vietnam with kids, too. Your stories, too! Tell me in the comments, or contact me directly.
